Modern communication networks have enabled a variety of network services which run the gamut of services, from entertainment-related to business-related. When users have problems with their communication services, the users may individually initiate a trouble communication to their service provider. The trouble communication may be a phone call to a technical support line, for example. A typical trouble communication may involve a user calling a technical support phone number. After an initial authentication, the user may wait on hold for the next available support person. Once connected to a support person, the support person will spend some time discussing the problem with the user. The support person may then perform diagnostic tests and queries on hardware and software affecting the user's communication services. The support person then attempts to solve any problems, or possibly escalate the problem to a more senior support person.
Ultimately, the process outlined above may take significant time and resources. Time spent by a support person can be expensive, especially when costs other than wages are considered, such as computer hardware, training, and so forth. In addition, time spent by a user waiting on hold for a support person can waste the user's time and cause frustration. For major outages, existing systems may automatically inform a user that an outage is being experienced in one or more areas, preventing the user from taking valuable time away from a support person. However, these systems frequently require manual intervention to perform data collection, correlation, and update the automated notification system.